Container adapter provided with pouring spout, drip return, and cap



J. G. LIVINGSTONE CONTAINER ADAPTER PROVIDED WITH POURING Aug. 16, 1955SPOUT, DRIP RETURN AND CAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 9, 1953 FIG. I

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Aug. 16, 1955 J. G. LIVINGSTONE CONTAINER ADAPTER PROVIDED WITH POURINGSPOUT, DRIP RETURN AND CAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1953 Hg 36ZNVENTOR.

I JAY G. LEVINGSTONE Y 1% KM ATTY.

United States Patent CONTAENER ADAPTER PRUVXDED WITH POUR- IN G SPOUT,DRIP RETURN, AND CAP Jay G. Livingstone, Akron, Ghio Application hiarch9, 1953, Serial No. 341,208

6 Claims. (Cl. 222111) This invention relates to an adapter for a bottleor other container. It is made of a plastic. The adapter is providedwith means for attaching it to the container and with a spout having apouring lip. There is a channel below the lip which runs down the outersurface of the lip and spout. or more places so that when downwardpressure is applied to the spout it is depressed and the slits open upand provide openings through which liquid which has collected in thechannel drains back into the container. The slits may be at the inneredge of the channel adjacent the spout, or at its outer edge near meansfor attaching the adapter to the container, or at some location inbetween. The return of liquid to the bottle is preferably accomplishedby fastening a cap over the adapter in such a way that it depresses thespout so that the slits open.

The invention will be further described in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a view in perspective of theadapter;

Fig. 2 shows the adapter on a bottle with a cap fastened to the bottleover the adapter which presses the spout down into the bottlesufliciently to open the slits located in the channel which surroundsthe spout;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the adapter on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section through a bridge portion of the adapter betweenslits on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar section but with the spout depressed;

Fig. 6 is a section through a slit portion of the adapter on the line 66of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a similar section but with the slits open;

Fig. 3 is a view of a slightly modified form of adapter fastened to abottle with a cap with an open top and covered by a second cap which isfastened to the adapter and depresses the spout thereof so as to openthe slits therein;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a modified type of adapter in which the slitsare adjacent the outer wall of the spout, the bridges are longer andslope upwardly to the spout, and the spout is thin where the bridges areattached to make its walls more flexible;

Fig. 10 is a section on the line Iii-10 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a section similar to the section of Fig. 10, but with theadapter on a bottle;

Fig. 13 is a section similar to those shown in Figs. 10 and 12, but witha cap on the bottle and the spout of the adapter depressed, opening theslits;

Fig. 14 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 13 but on the sameline as the section of Fig. 11;

Fig. 15 is a section, partly broken away, on the line 1515 of Figs. 9and 11; and

Fig. 16 is a section on the line 1616 of Fig. 11.

The adapter shown in the drawings is provided with a skirt portion 1which fits over the top of a bottle or other container. It is to beunderstood that instead of being provided with a skirt portion the baseof the adapter The bottom of the channel is slit in one ice may be inthe form of a stopper which fits into the neck of a bottle or the like,or the base may be threaded internally or externally to screw on to theneck of a bottle, or the base of the adapter may be of any other design.

Located centrally of the adapter is the spout 2 with the pouring lip 3at the top thereof. This lip extends around the top of the spout so thatliquid can be poured from it when the bottle or container is tilted inany direction.

The spout 2 is supported from the skirt 1 by the bridges 6. As clearlyshown in Fig. 5, these bridges 6 are located below the outer wall 7above the skirt 1. This wall forms a tight seal with the cap by means ofa groove in the undersurface thereof, as will be explained in whatfollows.

Between the bridges 6 are the slit depressed areas, one

5 portion 8 of which is attached to the spout, and another portion 9 ofwhich is attached to the skirt. Between these portions are the slits 10.As best shown in Fig. 6, the portion 8 is preferably oifset downwardlysomewhat from the portion 9, although the portions 8 and 9 contact oneanother so that when the container is tipped for pouring no liquidescapes between the two. These portions, or at least the lower of them,are preferably curved downwardly so that the pressure of liquid againsttheir undersurface when the container is tilted forms a seal betweenthem so that no liquid escapes.

When pressure is applied to the top of the spout, as when a cap isfastened down over it and the spout is pressed downwardly with respectto the skirt (as illustrated in Figs. 2, 5, 7 and 8), the portions S ofthe chan'; nel are ofiset downwardly from the portions 9, opening theslits 10, and any liquid which is collected in the channel drains downthrough the slits into the bottle. The portions 8 and 9 are maintainedin this ofiset position as long as pressure is applied to the top of thespout. Thus, if the bottle is upset with the cap fastened over thespout, liquid may run out through the slits between these offsetportions but it will be retained under the cap and will not spill out ofthe cap enclosure. When the bottle is righted prior to removing the capany liquid which has thus escaped from the bottle into the cap will bereturned through the slits to the bottle. When the pressure on the spoutis released by removal of the cap, the portions 8 return into sealingengagement with the portions 9.

Figure 2 shows the cap 15 screwed onto the threads 16 on the outside ofthe neck 18 of a bottle. The threads cover a suflicient vertical area onthe outer surface of the bottle so that when the cap is screwed down onthese threads the top of the cap depresses the spout sufiiciently .toopen the slits 10 between the portions 8 and 9 of the channel. Figure 2shows the spout depressed and the slits open.

The cap is of the type in which there is an annular tongue 29 whichprojects downwardly from its inner surface. The outer wall of thistongue is beveled inwardly and downwardly and meets the downwardly andoutwardly slanting wall of the cap to form the V-shaped groove 21 whichfits over the top of the wall 7 of the adapter. The adapter is made offlexible plastic and the top of the wall 7 is squeezed by this V-shapedgroove 21 so that there is a liquid-tight seal formed all around the topof the adapter. This prevents leakage from the cap enclosure when thecapped bottle is upset.

On the undersurface of the portion 9 of the channel around the spout isthe flexible tongue 23 which is pressed against the top edge of the neckof the bottle and makes a liquid-tight seal with it. There is also theannular pointed tongue 24 of somewhat larger diameter which makes afurther seal with this top edge of the bottle. The adapter shown is ofthe slip-on type in which 3 the bead 25 fits into a complementaryindentation around the top of the bottle. Between the tongues 23 and 24is a tightly sealed air pocket in which air is trapped at a pressuregreater thanatmospheric, and this prevents liquid escaping from thebottlewhen the bottle is tilted.

The bottle fitted with this. adapter and cap is liquid tight. It can betipped over and although the liquid may then run into the cap throughthe slits 10, as soon as the bottle is returned to the upright positionall of this liquid drains back into the bottle.

As soon as the cap is removed from the bottle the depressedspout assumesits original position. This closes the slits and prevents any liquidfrom escaping through the slits when the bottle is tipped for pouring.After pouring any liquid dripping from the lip 3 or running down theoutside of the spoutcollects in the channel. It can be drained into thebottle by manually depressing the spout to open the slits 10. Wheneverthe cap is replaced any liquid in the channel isautornaticallyreturnedto the bottle.

Figure 8 illustrates a modified type of adapter. The bridges, channeland slits are identical with those previously described. The adapter isof flexible plastic. The flange 30 which extends outwardly from its baseis designed with two annular contact points 31 on its undersurface.These and the tongue 32 form an air pocket similar to that formed by thetongues 23 and 24 of Fig. 2 and form a tight seal.

When the hard cap 33 is'screwed on to the bottle it presses down on theflange 30 and holds the adapter tightly to the top of the bottle. Theannular tongue 34 on the cap 33 presses down on the top of the flangebetween the contact points 31 and seals these tightly against the top ofthe bottle. This is aided by the upwardly projecting outer edge 35 ofthe flange 30 which presses against the undersurface of the cap 33 andforces the tongue 31 on the outer edge of the flange 30 against the topedge of the bottle.

The cap 37 may be of hard plastic or flexible plastic. It is threadedontothe external threads 38 of the adapter. The V-shaped groove 39 inthe undersurface of the cap operates in the same manner as the groove 21of the cap of Fig. 2, making a tight seal with the top of the wall ofthe adapter.

In the adapter shown in Figs. 9l6 the slits 40 are at the inner edge ofthe channel 41 adjacent the spout 42.

The bridges 43 are long and extend upwardly. The spout is thin above thebridges, and it is grooved at 44 below the bridges, making it thin andflexiblewhere the bridges are attached to it. The bridges are preferablyof uniform thickness, as shown in Fig. 15, so that they flex readily.The undersurface of the skirt 47 of the adapter is provided with'a bead48 at its bottom edge, a flexible annular tongue 49 and an annularpointed bead or tongue 50. Figure 12 shows how these cooperate with thebottle 52 in order to form a tight seal. The bead 48 fits snugly intothe groove 54 in the bottle. The tongue 49 presses against the inneredge of the top of the neck of the bottle and this throws the inneredges of the channel 41 up to make tight contact with the portions 56 ofthe base of the spout which bulge out between the bridges. The bead ortongue 50 presses against the top surface of the bottle. The tongue 49is flexible and makes a tight seal with the inner edge of the top of thebottle even though the thickness of the neck of the bottle varies. Thebeads 50 and 48 are so spaced as to make a tight fit between the top andthe outer surface of the neck of the bottle.

Figure 10 shows that when the adapter is not on a bottle there is aslight opening at the slit 40. When the adapter is placed on a bottle,as in Fig. 12, the tongue 49 is pressed inwardly and this closes theslit 40 by pressing the inner edges of the channels 41 against the outersurfaces of the portions 56 of the spout 42.

Figures 13 and 14 illustrate how the spout is depressed and the slits 40are opened up when the cap 57 is screwed onto the threads 58 of thebottle 52. The cap is shallow and'applies pressure uniformly around thelip of the spout. The inner edge of each channel is provided with atongue 59. The tip of each tongue is curved outwardly to guide the inneredge of the channel over the protruding base portion 56 of the spoutbetween the bridgeswhen the spout rises as the cap is removed. Thus,when the cap is removed the adapter returns to the position illustratedin Fig. 12.

The bridges must be higher than the channel in order to permit liquidwhich drops on their upper surface to drain over their sides, down intothe channel. By providing long, sloping bridges it is possible todepress the spout to a greater extent than is possible with the designof adapter shown in Figs. l7. The long bridges 43 of the adapter ofFigs. 9-14 permit the spout to be depressed sufiiciently to permitdrainage. of liquid from the channel into the bottle before the threadson the cap make contact with the threads 58 on the bottle.

There is a wall 63 at each edge of each channel portion 41, adjacent thebridges. Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate the adapter, as molded, and there isa slight space between the edge 64 of each wall 63 and the ribs 65 onthe spout on each side of each bridge. When the adapter is put on abottle, as in Fig. 12, the channel is lifted sufliciently to close thisspace. When the bottle contains liquid and is tilted for pouring, thesewalls prevent the liquid from running out from between the bridges andthe channels. When the spout is depressed, the edges 64 slide up on theribs 65, as illustrated in Figs. 13 and 14, and the spaces between theinner edges of the channels and the bulged portions 56 at the base ofthe spout open and permit any liquid on the channels to drain into thecontainer.

The edges of the bridges come to a point, as best illustrated in Fig.15. They make line-contact with the outer surfaces of the walls 63 andform a liquid-tight seal which prevents the escape of liquid from withinthe bottle, when the bottle is tilted for pouring. When the spout israised, the top of each wall 63 contacts the edge of the adjacentbridge, as shown in Fig. 15. The bridges slope to each side so that anyliquid on them, whether because of dripping from the lip or for anyother reason, drains over the top of the adjacent wall 63 when the spoutis raised, and down into the channel. Then, when the spout is depressed,this liquid runs over the inner edge of the channel, into the container.

The top of the outer, edge of the adapter is provided with the beadswhich press against the inner surface of the cap when the cap is screweddown tight, and prevent any leakage of liquid from the bottle to theouter surface of the adapter beyond the channel. When the cap is screweddown tight the slits 40 are open and if the bottle is then upset liquiddrains through these slits against the inner surface of the top of thecap. The beads 70 prevent its going beyond this. The several beads 70 atdifierent locations insure sealing contact between the adapter and capsof different design.

It is often desirable to assemble the adapters in the caps at a bottlingworks, or before shipment to the bottling works, so that after thebottles are filled the only operation required to close them is to screwthe caps on to them. The tight fit of the beads 70in the caps serves tohold the adapters in the caps before applying them to the bottles. Thissub-assembly can be made at any convenient time and place. After thebottles are filled, it is only necessary to screw the caps in place. Indoing this the beads 48 on the adapters automatically slip into place inthe grooves 54, and no additional operation is necessary to fit theadapters on the bottles.

The drawings illustrate how the invention is applicable to adapters ofdifferent designs with different types of caps. The construction of thechannel and slits may be varied to suit requirements. The adapter shownis designed to be molded of polyethylene or the like, the shrinkage ofwhich during molding is dependent on the thickness of difierent parts ofthe molded product. Thus, by making the top of the outer Wall of theadapter shown in Figs. 9-16 of greater material thickness than theportions of the adapter within this wall, these portions within the wallare brought together as the portion of greater material thicknessshrinks and the inner edge of each tongue 59 is drawn inwardly intocontact with the base of the spout. This narrows or eliminates the space49 (Fig. 10) between each tongue and the spout occupied by the moldduring the molding. It also draws the outer surface of each wall 63closer to the edge of the bridge adjacent to it. Thus by providing abulk of the plastic around the edge of the adapter, edges which areseparated by the thickness of the mold during molding are brought closerto one another.

it is possible to form the spout and the surrounding portion of theadapter as separate units of thermosetting material, with the slitlocated between them. The ad joining edges of the two units may beformed by interlocking fingers. The two units may be united by a springof metal or the like which will force the spout upwardly when there isno downward pressure on it, and bring the interlocking fingers intosealing contact between the units.

The invention is defined in the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. An adapter of flexible plastic for a container, the adapter beingprovided with a spout for pouring liquid therethrough, a wall around thespout, a channel between said wall and the spout for the collection ofliquid dripping from the spout and liquid running down the outer wall ofthe spout, and a slit in the channel dividing at least a part of thechannel into one part that adheres to the spout and another part thatadheres to the wall, whereby when the spout is depressed with respect tosaid wall the 6 slit is opened and liquid in the channel drainstherethrough.

2. The adapter of claim 1 in which the highest point of the spout ishigher than the Wall.

3. The adapter of claim 1 in which the pouring lip extends around thetop of the spout and the channel is provided with a plurality of slitsarranged substantially uniformly around the spout.

4. The adapter of claim 1 in combination with a cap which covers thespout and the lower portion of which is releasably sealed to the outersurface of said Wall with its undersurface contacting the top of thespout and depressing the same with respect to the wall, whereby the slitis opened.

5. The adapter of claim 1 in combination with (l) a container andaflixed to an opening therein and (2) a cap which covers the spout withthe lower portion thereof releasably sealed to the outer surface of thecontainer and with its undersurface contacting the top of the spout anddepressing the same with respect to the wall whereby the slit is opened.

6. An adapter of flexible plastic for a container, which adapterincludes a cylindrical spout with a pouring lip extending completelyaround the top thereof, means at the bottom of the adapter for attachingthe adapter to a container, flexible bridges between the spout and theattaching means and a channel extending between each two bridges andextending from the spout to the attaching means, and a slit in eachchannel extending substantially from one bridge to the next and which isopened when the spout is depressed with respect to the attaching means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

